Say Ah... How Tissue Welding Helps Adult Tonsillectomy Process
Are you suffering from a chronic throat infection that is causing pain? You’re not alone. Whenever you’ve heard about someone having their tonsils removed, it was probably a child, however an increasing number of adults need to have their tonsils removed. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, there are generally five-hundred thousand tonsillectomies performed each year in the United States. Tonsillectomies are a very common pediatric procedure performed by an ENT in a hospital or clinic, so most involve patients that are children. If you’re an adult suffering from chronic pharyngitis (severe, sore throat) it may be time to consider a tonsillectomy.
What function do tonsils perform, and what causes tonsillitis?
Palatine tonsils are fleshy pads on either side of the back of your throat. Tonsils produce white blood cells, which are part of an immune system reaction to fight against foreign bacteria entering the mouth. If you’ve ever experience strep throat, or a bacterial infection, it causes stress on your immune system, which produces a severe sore throat. At first, most physicians will prescribe an antibiotic to fight an infection, however the Mayo Clinic suggests that if you’ve experienced more than seven sore throats within a year you probably have tonsillitis.
What is a tonsillectomy, and how can you benefit?
A tonsillectomy involves the surgical removal of your tonsils. If you have breathing complications or difficulty swallowing as a result of chronic tonsillitis, you should visit your local clinic or hospital to consult with Dr. Frederick Freeman about this procedure. Your quality of life is important, so dealing with chronic pain can be more than just a little inconvenient. Following surgery, most adults that have had a tonsillectomy procedure have shared positive results and relief from chronic pain leading to a much better quality of life.
What should you know about the adult tonsillectomy process?
The full tonsillectomy process generally takes about forty-five minutes or less. Under general anesthesia, you will be sleeping and will not experience pain during the procedure. An ENT physician will perform the surgery, gently removing your tonsils with a scalpel. A new flesh welding tool used during adult tonsillectomies utilizes a direct heat source at the tip of the instrument to simultaneously cut and seal tissue. Patients have expressed the benefits of quicker healing time and fewer complications following surgery.
If you feel you may need a tonsillectomy, and you’re interested in a thermal-fusion flesh welding process during surgery, consult with Dr. Frederick Freeman at Memorial Hospital of Converse County about this advanced procedure for quicker recovery time.